Business Update with Mark Lacter

KPCC's business analyst Mark Lacter says Texas Governor Rick Perry's plan may be misguided.Steve Julian: Mark, what's working for or against him?Mark Lacter: First off, Steve, his timing in trying to recruit businesses out here is pretty bad.

AirTalk

There’s a plan to get a black box in your car to gather data and make cars safer for consumers. However, critics of the plan are sincerely worried that these devices could be used for more harm than good.

As Oscar night gets closer by the minute, Hollywood insiders are busy preparing for their most important night of the year; however, there’s another venue experiencing an upswing of activity… online gambling sites.

Early this morning, a man committed a series of carjackings and murders in Orange County before taking his own life. Are we seeing a trend toward more gun violence in our future, or are the recent tragedies outliers?

Take Two

Some good news for wine drinkers here in California. A new report on the annual grape crush shows that 2012 was a bumper year for grape-growing in the state. More than 4 million tons of wine grapes were grown, and they fetched record high prices.

It's that time again! Tuesday, the day when record companies release new music. Today, music critics Oliver Wang (Soul-Sides.com) and Ann Powers (NPR Music) join the show to talk about new tunes by DJ Day, Lady, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Apples and Three Oranges, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, and Holly Williams.

This year, the first ever America's Science Idol competition was held as part of the the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference. Contestants had 3 minutes to give a compelling presentation on the topic of their choice.

Hollywood's elite has spent the past few weeks on the awards circuit, picking up prizes and glad-handing at fancy parties. But the biggest award night is still to come — the Oscars. Getting there takes a lot more than just making a good movie. Gina Delvac reports.

While there are limits on how far agents can go to get their hands on illegal guns, the program is being closely watched nationwide as gun control laws remain a top issue for lawmakers. Joining us with more is Jessica Garrison who writes about the program for the L.A. Times.

February 19th, 2013, 8:56am|
Rachel Dornhelm, The California Report | Take Two

California is set to create the nation’s most ambitious energy makeover for public buildings. That’s because Californians overwhelmingly passed Proposition 39, which closes a corporate tax loophole and funnels much of the money to energy efficiency upgrades. The details, however, have been left to state lawmakers and, not surprisingly, there's disagreement over where the funds will go.

The US government officially recognized Somalia’s government last week for the first time since 1991. Now the nation is rebuilding under a newly elected president, and Somalis in San Diego are eager to help. KPBS reporter Megan Burks spoke to a young refugee who says he can’t wait to go back permanently.

Writer Rosie Schaap has spent a lot of time in bars – 13,000 hours by her calculations. But she's got a great reason, she's the "Drink" columnist for the New York Times Magazine. Her new memoir, Drinking with Men is an homage to the many bars, pubs and taverns she's loved and lost along the way.